imposturen.
/ɪmˈpɒstjʊə/ 1. † b. The deception of unreal or feigned appearances; illusion. Obsolete.
a. The action or practice of imposing upon others; wilful and fraudulent deception.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > [noun]
falsec1000
fraudc1330
barrat1340
faitery1377
defraudc1450
trumpery1481
covin1487
defraudationc1503
knavery1528
conveyance1531
imposture1537
defrauding1548
cozenage1583
impostry1585
catch-dolt1592
gullery1598
coggery1602
gullage1607
charlatism1611
impostury1615
quacksalvery1617
mountebankery1618
imposition1632
imposturisma1634
blaflum1637
charlatanry1638
defraudment1645
mountebankism1649
impostorya1652
impostorism1652
imposturage1654
impostery1656
mountebank1657
imposing1659
quackery1675
quackism1722
empiricism1774
cross1802
charlatanism1804
practitionery1818
cozenry1829
humbuggery1831
trick1833
thimble-shift1834
thimble-shifting1834
thimbleriggery1841
humbuggism1842
quackhood1843
quacksalverism1864
razzle-dazzle1928
spivery1948
shuck1958
shucking and jiving1969
1537 tr. H. Latimer Serm. to Clergie sig. C.vii Great imposture commeth, when they that the common people take for the lyght go aboute to take the sonne and the lyght out of the worlde.
1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §241 I see no great vse of it, but for Imposture.
1750 S. Johnson Rambler No. 79. ⁋13 He that suffers by imposture has too often his virtue more impaired than his fortune.
1819 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto I cxxviii. 67 You'd best begin with truth, and when you've lost your Labour, there's a sure market for imposture.
1878 J. Morley Carlyle in Crit. Misc. 198 Imposture must come to an end.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > thing seen > appearance or aspect > [noun] > seeming
semblant?c1225
coloura1325
countenance1362
appearancec1386
seemc1440
fair seeming1484
resemblant1485
seeming1576
apparition1613
semblancea1616
imposture1643
verisimile1652
seemingness1656
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > deception by illusion, delusion > [noun]
swikingc1000
illusionc1340
phantoma1375
phantomya1400
delusion1526
elusion1550
falsery1594
disillusion1598
imposture1643
1643 Sir T. Browne Religio Medici (authorized ed.) ii. §5 The counterfeit griefes of those knowne and professed impostures [at a Play] . View more context for this quotation
1678 R. Cudworth True Intellect. Syst. Universe i. i. 47 There is something in us superiour to Sense, which judges of it, detects its Phantastry, and condemns its Imposture.
1794 R. J. Sulivan View of Nature II. 231 Nothing can secure the mind from error and imposture, but the precision arising from a candid philosophical spirit.
2.
a. An act of fraudulent deception; a cheat, a fraud.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > [noun] > instance of
braida1000
fraudc1374
mock1523
brogue1537
flim-flamc1538
imposture1548
lie1560
cozening1576
smoke-hole1580
gullery1598
gull1600
cog1602
coggery1602
fraudulency1630
imposition1632
cheat1649
fourbery1650
prestige1656
sham1677
crimp1684
bite1711
humbug1750
swindle1778
hookum-snivey1781
shim-sham1797
gag1805
intake1808
racket1819
wooden nutmeg1822
sell1838
caper1851
skin game1879
Kaffir bargain1899
swizzle1913
swizz1915
put-on1919
ready-up1924
rort1926
jack-up1945
1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VI f. cliij By this praty cautele and slyghte imposture.
1603 J. Florio tr. M. de Montaigne Ess. i. xxx. 103 A punishable imposture.
1759 W. Robertson Hist. Scotl. ii, in Hist. Wks. (1813) I. 115 The vigilance of the reformers detected these impostures.
1838 E. Bulwer-Lytton Calderon i He had submitted to an imposture.
b. A thing (or person) which is pretended to be what it is not.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > forgery, falsification > [noun] > something false or forged
falsehood1340
counterfeiture1548
forgery1574
bastard1581
man of straw1599
counterfeit1613
imitationa1616
mock1646
pasteboard1648
sophistication1664
imposture1699
fraud1725
sham1728
adulteration1756
falsity1780
duff1781
shim-sham1797
shammy1822
Hodge-razor1843
pinchbeck1847
shice1859
cook-up1865
postiche1876
fakery1880
fake1883
bogosity1893
spuriosity1894
dud1897
cluck1904
rake-up1957
bodgie1988
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > dissimulation, pretence > [noun] > one who or that which dissembles
feigner1382
pseudo1402
simular1526
simuler1534
colourer1554
counterfeiter1561
truphane1568
counterfeit1574
put-forth1581
pretender1583
impostor1586
idol1590
would-be1607
phantasm1622
farce1696
imposture1699
Barmecide1713
simulator1835
fraud1850
sham1850
fake1855
swindle1858
shammer1861
make-believe1863
hoax1869
economizer1874
make-believer1884
ringer1896
phoney1902
faker1910
shill1976
1699 Bp. G. Burnet Expos. 39 Articles (1700) xxii. 245 Many of the Bones which were carried about by Monks, were none of their Bones but Impostures.
1781 J. Moore View Soc. Italy (1790) I. i. 18 We were a gang of impostures.
Derivatives
imˈpostureship n. = impostorship n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > a charlatan, fraudster > [noun] > character or condition of
faitourc1500
impostureship1608
impostorship1620
fraudulency1857
saltimbanquism1861
1608 Bp. T. Morton Preamble Incounter 39 A sportfull or rather execrable Impostureship of P.R.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1899; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
† imposturev.
Obsolete.
a. intransitive. To practise imposture.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > act fraudulently, cheat [verb (intransitive)]
faitc1330
defraudc1384
to take (the) advantagea1393
false1393
halt1412
haft1519
juggle1528
wily beguile1550
foist1584
lurch1593
fog1621
imposture1624
rook1637
impone1640
cheat1647
chicane1671
humbug1753
fineer1765
gag1781
mountebank1814
jockeya1835
sniggle1837
barney1848
straw1851
honeyfuggle1856
skinch1891
finagle1926
1624 T. Scott Belgick Souldier 32 Spaine assembles armies, the Iesuites coniure, the Priests imposture.
b. transitive. To impose upon, deceive.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > treat fraudulently, cheat [verb (transitive)]
deceivec1330
defraud1362
falsec1374
abuse?a1439
fraud1563
visure1570
cozen1583
coney-catch1592
to fetch in1592
cheat1597
sell1607
mountebanka1616
dabc1616
nigglea1625
to put it on1625
shuffle1627
cuckold1644
to put a cheat on1649
tonya1652
fourbe1654
imposturea1659
impose1662
slur1664
knap1665
to pass upon (also on)1673
snub1694
ferret1699
nab1706
shool1745
humbug1750
gag1777
gudgeon1787
kid1811
bronze1817
honeyfuggle1829
Yankee1837
middle1863
fuck1866
fake1867
skunk1867
dead-beat1888
gold-brick1893
slicker1897
screw1900
to play it1901
to do in1906
game1907
gaff1934
scalp1939
sucker1939
sheg1943
swizz1961
butt-fuck1979
a1659 Lady Alimony iv. vii. sig. I2 The Devil's a Witch, and hast impostur'd them.
c. To declare or prove to be an imposture.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > testing > refutation, disproof > refute, disprove [verb (transitive)] > by proving error or weakness
reprovea1398
falsifyc1449
enervate1565
convince1583
disprove1584
imposture1622
distest1647
disauthenticate1658
convict1717
negative1790
unsubstantiate1799
to show up1893
1622 H. Sydenham Serm. (1637) 92 Labouring to nullifie his acts, blemish his descent, imposture all his miracles.
Derivatives
imˈposturing n. and adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > [noun] > action
bulling1532
cogging1570
cozening1576
coney-catching1591
fool-taking1592
gulling1600
bat-fowling1602
sharking1602
imposturing1618
mountebanking1672
shamming1677
sharping1692
fineering1765
overreachinga1774
pigeoning1808
flat-catching1821
thimble-shifting1834
thimblerigging1839
strawing1851
thimbling1857
fiddling1884
piking1884
ramping1891
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > [adjective] > cheating
trifling?a1400
cogging1542
cheatingc1555
flim-flam1577
overreaching1579
cozening1583
fogging1585
circumventing1603
gulling1614
imposturing1618
chicaning1698
crimping1699
bilking1732
humbugging1752
imposinga1754
nailing1819
1618 T. Gainsford True Hist. P. Warbeck 8 Where the imposturing of Priests hath got the vpper hand of all religion and piety.
1624 Gag for Pope 71 Her abominable life and imposturing deceit.
a1641 R. Montagu Acts & Monuments (1642) 214 Imposturing lewd Libels, counterfaited under the names of the Apostles.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1899; most recently modified version published online March 2021).
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